The invention relates to a vehicle and to a method for operating the same according to a request by a vehicle occupant. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for operating a vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle control system for operating a vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program for operating a vehicle and to a computer program product.
Contemporary vehicles increasingly have operator control facilities. Reliability is a challenge in this context.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,384 describes a system with a screen and a plurality of input devices, including a keyboard, a mouse, a contact sensor, a voice sensor and an image sensor. Furthermore, the system includes an interface module for profiles, including application profiles and user profiles. These are files which list input messages which are generated by an alternative input subsystem from input signals of the input devices. The input messages are assigned commands of the input devices which can be used by applications. A user selects the input device in order to input data. As a result of electrical signals of the input device, an input signal is transmitted to the alternative input subsystem which passes on an input message. The application profiles and the user profiles are each checked for a command corresponding to the input message. The command with the higher priority is passed on to an application and a corresponding action carried out.
The object on which the invention is based is to provide a method and a corresponding device which make a contribution to permitting comfortable and safe operation of the vehicle.
According to a first aspect, the invention is distinguished by a method for operating a vehicle. Furthermore, according to a second aspect, the invention is distinguished by a corresponding device for operating the vehicle.
The vehicle has at least one main sensor unit. A measurement signal of the main sensor unit is characteristic of a main driver's request of a vehicle occupant with respect to the influencing of a driving behavior of the vehicle. The main driver's request of the vehicle occupant is represented by a movement of a hand or a foot of the vehicle occupant.
The vehicle also has at least one secondary sensor unit. A measurement signal of the secondary sensor unit is characteristic of a secondary driver's request of the vehicle occupant with respect to the influencing of the driving behavior of the vehicle. The secondary driver's request is represented other than by the movement of the hand or the foot of the vehicle occupant.
Moreover, the vehicle has at least one actuator. The actuator influences the driving behavior of the vehicle as a function of an actuation signal.
As a function of the main driver's request represented by the measurement signal of the main sensor unit and as a function of the secondary driver's request represented by the measurement signal of the secondary sensor unit, a resulting driver's request with respect to the influencing of the driving behavior of the vehicle is determined. In the case of a neutral value of the main driver's request, the secondary driver's request is assigned as the resulting driver's request. Otherwise, the main driver's request is assigned as the resulting driver's request. The actuation signal is generated as a function of the resulting driver's request.
The invention makes use of the realization that the main driver's request can be more reliably detected than the secondary driver's request and, therefore, the resulting driver's request can be reliably determined in accordance with the procedure explained above. Therefore, a contribution is made to the safe driving operation. When the neutral value is present, the secondary driver's request is taken into account with respect to a comfortable driving operation perceived by the vehicle occupant.
The vehicle occupant can be, in particular, a driver of the vehicle.
The influencing of the driving behavior of the vehicle can include simple to complex driving maneuvers. A simple driving maneuver can be, for example, an acceleration process. A complex driving maneuver can be, for example, an overtaking process.
The actuator which influences the driving behavior of the vehicle as a function of the actuation signal can be a steering system, a brake and/or parts of a drive train and/or the drive train.
The main driver's request is represented by a movement of the hand or the foot of the vehicle occupant. The movement of the hand or the foot of the vehicle occupant also includes in this context an application of force to an object, which application brings about a transmission of force into the object or a pressure change within the object.
The main driver's request and secondary driver's request can each have a certain value from the point of view of the vehicle occupant. Therefore, for example, the secondary driver's request can have the same value as the main driver's request from the point of view of the vehicle occupant.
The main sensor unit and the secondary sensor unit can be arranged combined in the form of a single component. In particular, the main sensor unit can optionally be used as a secondary sensor unit.
The neutral value is then assigned to the main driver's request if no main driver's request is supposedly expressed by the vehicle occupant.
In one advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the main sensor unit is embodied as a pressure sensor and/or a torque sensor. Depending on the pressure applied by the vehicle occupant and/or a torque applied by the vehicle occupant it is possible to infer, for example, the intensity of the main driver's request. Predefined influencing of the driving behavior of the vehicle can be assigned to the main driver's request.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the main sensor unit is et bodied as a steering angle sensor and/or pedal position encoder.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the main sensor unit is embodied as a contact sensor unit and/or a proximity sensor unit. The contact sensor unit or the proximity sensor unit can be here, for example, a plurality of elements which are arranged as a layer. The contact sensor unit and/or the proximity sensor unit can contain sensor elements which are resistive, capacitive, inductive and/or temperature-sensitive. The contact sensor unit and/or proximity sensor unit can be part of what is referred to as a touchscreen.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the main sensor unit is embodied as an image-processing main sensor unit. The image-processing main sensor unit can be designed to sense the gesture of the hand or the foot of the vehicle occupant within a predefined space in which of the vehicle occupant may maneuver.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary sensor unit is embodied as an image-processing secondary sensor unit. The image-processing secondary sensor unit can be designed to sense movements of the vehicle occupant which do not originate from the hand or the foot of the vehicle occupant.
The image-processing main sensor unit and the image-processing secondary sensor unit can be arranged in a single component, in particular, the image-processing main sensor unit can also optionally be used as an image-processing secondary sensor unit.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary driver's request is represented by a viewing direction of the vehicle occupant within a predefined region. For example, a view of the vehicle occupant through a front windshield of the vehicle is sensed. If the predefined region includes, for example, an outer edge of the front windshield, the viewing direction toward the outer edge of the front windshield represents a secondary driver's request.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary sensor unit is embodied as an audio signal-processing unit. In this way, the secondary driver's request by the vehicle occupant can also be expressed in the form of an audio signal which is triggered by the vehicle occupant.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary driver's request is represented by a voice command of the vehicle occupant. This has the advantage that the vehicle occupant can express the secondary driver's request in away which is very familiar to a person.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary sensor unit is embodied as an electro-encephalograph. Electrical brain activity of the vehicle occupant can therefore be advantageously measured.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, the secondary driver's request is represented by electrical brain activity of the vehicle occupant. This has the advantage that the vehicle occupant can direct his entire concentration to the current traffic situation and the secondary driver's request. The electrical brain activity which occurs during concentration on the secondary driver's request is interpreted as being a secondary driver's request.
In a further advantageous refinement according to the first and second aspect, a destination specification of the vehicle occupant is made available. In addition, data relating to a surrounding area of the vehicle is made available. In addition, the actuation signal is generated as a function of the destination specification of the vehicle occupant and of the data relating to the surrounding area of the vehicle and of the resulting driver's request of the vehicle occupant. A contribution is therefore advantageously made to ensuring safe motor vehicle operation as a function of the destination specification of the vehicle occupant and as a function of the data relating to e surrounding area of the vehicle and as a function of the resulting driver's request.
The destination specification of the vehicle occupant can be made available in advance here. The destination specification of the vehicle occupant can also be made available during ongoing operation, The destination specification may have been used in advance in order to determine route planning. The route planning includes here the best possible travel route from a current vehicle position to the destination specification of the vehicle occupant.
The data relating to the surrounding area of the vehicle include, for example, a current position of the vehicle and/or a potential obstacle in a directly surrounding area or in a course of the route planning.
If, owing to the resulting driver's request of the vehicle occupant, there is an increased probability that a collision will occur with the obstacle in the directly surrounding area, the actuation signal is generated in such a way that the probability of the collision is lowest as a result of the influencing of the driving behavior of the vehicle, wherein the actuation signal does not necessarily have to reflect the resulting driver's request.
The motor vehicle operation during which the generation of the actuation signal takes place as a function of the destination specification and as a function of the data relating to the surrounding area of the vehicle and, optionally, without additional influencing by the vehicle occupant, can also be referred to as an autonomous driving operation.
According to a third aspect, the invention is distinguished by a vehicle control system which includes a device according to the second aspect which is coupled by signaling technology to the at least one main sensor unit and the at least one secondary sensor unit and the at least one actuator.
According to a fourth aspect, the invention is distinguished by a computer program for operating a vehicle, wherein the computer program is designed to carry out the method for operating a vehicle or an advantageous refinement of the method, on a data processing device.
According to a fifth aspect, the invention is distinguished by a computer program product which includes executable program code, wherein when executed by a data processing device the program code executes the method for operating a vehicle or an advantageous refinement of the method.
The computer program product includes, in particular, a medium which can be read by the data processing device and on which the program code is stored.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments lien considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.